Christmas Spirit 2009: Indiecater Records Compilation

So, I won't even bother making excuses over how long it's taken to update this thing, since you all know the drill already. Suffice it to say, this blog is a much-enjoyed yet definitely hobbyist endeavour.

Thus, it was something of a surprise to me just how many record label mailing lists and press release e-mail things make their way into my mailbox all the time. I don't take it to mean we're special or anything, but I will admit that I'm filled with guilt on a regular basis, seeing all these lovingly detailed updates when I can't apparently stay on top of my own projects enough to at least listen to most of the music mentioned.

Especially since when I actually manage to get some listening in, it's actually so GOOD.

Which brings us to the subject of this update: a Christmas compilation.

...words that strike fear into the heart of any retail slave. They evoke thoughts of endless repetitions of the Destiny's Child Christmas Album, and Michael Buble singing "Let it Snow" just to capitalize on the fact that he's pretty much doing what Bing Crosby did well sixty or so years ago and not much else. Let's not even talk about Boney M.

However, this compilation comes from Indiecater Records, home of small but sweet outfits such as Adam and Darcie, Candy Claws, and Sunbear...I couldn't help but be somewhat intrigued about what a Christmas comp done by non-commercial bands that don't spend their time bloating Pitchfork's news pages might sound like.

All I need to say is this: this is probably my favourite winter compilation yet.

Sure, some of the songs are about Christmas. Most, however, seem to be about winter and ice and snow, about personal relationships, and about the humanistic elements of the holiday (as in Standard Fare's Tinsel Politics, where lead singer Emma Kupa asks "Tell me, whose parents' are we going to this Christmas? And how many arguments do I have to sit through?"). Even the covers of traditional songs (Allo Darlin's rendition of Baby, It's Cold Outside, Sweet Jane's Silent Night) are refreshingly honest and sweet versions that bring something new, all the while not seeking to overpower the original material like most revisionist carols do.

It's probably the first Christmas comp I've ever heard where the subject is handled in such a sensitive manner. We're expected to be intelligent enough to get it without needing the word "Christmas" and holiday cliche images beaten into our eardrums.

Do yourself a favour and pick this up to play at any parties you plan on hosting this year, indie or no. Now if only I could get it worked into the regular playlist at work for the holidays...*dares to dream*


~Ju

Standard Fare - "Tinsel Politics" MP3
An Indiecater Christmas 2009

[Live] Final Fantasy + Timber Timbre @ Knox United Church

So, if one were to peruse all the way down to the LAST live review this blog did, one might get the impression that churches are the new 'it' venue.

And while that review was done over a year ago and by someone not writing for this blog anymore, this impression would still be correct.

Churches are in. Hip. Cool, even. Not so much when there's churchgoers IN them, maybe, but who can blame the indie scene for wanting to pillage those considered acoustics and (probably) lower rental fees in an almost *gasp* ungodly and impure fashion?

I for one have been rather spoiled by these types of shows (bar shows are a sad shadow, unless Sunset Rubdown happens to be playing); with the exception of two other shows written about on this blog, actually, probably some of the best shows of my existence have been held in churches.

Final Fantasy ranks on that list. Twice.

Back in June, the venerable Owen Pallett graced our humble Central United church (along with Slim Twig and some band named after Tigers which I forget) and proceeded to melt the faces off the sold-out indie gawkers within. A rather astonishing feat, since face-melting is usually reserved for bands with hair long enough to get caught in the rafters when headbanging, one member of whom usually plays the guitar (for the uninitiated, Final Fantasy aka Owen Pallett has neither). The question this time around sat at: was it a one-time magic thing, or would it happen again?

I suppose it's rather unfair of me to pose a question I already know the answer to (I've seen Mr. Pallett, or "Owen" as my sister might call him TO HIS FACE -brave girl-, a previous four times. And he's been amazing precisely the same number of times).

Admittedly, this musical event DID have the benifit of lighting that could do more than just "on" or "off", going as fancy as "fade from one state to the other". Thus, when the lights dimmed, the entire church went silent.

...I mean it. DEAD SILENT. No coughing, or shuffling, or adjusting...DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE GRAVITY OF WHAT I'M SAYING HERE, PEOPLE? This is about as likely my dad forgiving me for the time I dragged him to a Frog Eyes show. Which is pretty fricking unlikely. Think about the last show you went to, even a quiet acoustic one, where everyone LITERALLY SHUT UP COMPLETELY. Even that annoying girl who usually feels the need to call her friends and talk to them through the entire thing, ruin the mood, and squee about how hawt Dallas Green is (I'm looking at you, annoying cell-phone girl *death glare*).

This is even more amazing when you consider that the people ascending the stage were actually the opening band, Timber Timbre. Not the headliner. At all. I think my head just post-exploded.

At the time, however, (before my head exploded thinking about it) I saw fit to observe that this band is wonderful. A true, delightful surprise. Generally, Final Fantasy would be a difficult act to open for and actually have people remember what your band was called afterwards, but this trio from Toronto managed it with aplomb and flawless execution. Especially suited to those lovely acoustics, their recorded material pales by comparison, where the tiny echoes and details are lost. Theirs is music that inevitably made me think of mysterious bayous if an uncroaky Tom Waits decided to suddenly become a Voodoo preist. But still all its own.

A far cry from Pallett's classical-influenced vaguely victorian-styled poetic reflections on life and Canadiana (sometimes), but still somehow fitting.

Asfor the main event...how can I describe the feeling of having the most impossible of high hopes and having them fulfilled completely? Despite Owen Pallett being horribly ill, there was nary a bum note, a rythmic mistake, a misplaced stroke of the bow anywhere. Even people who have professed to not be terribly fond of his recirded material *cough*myinsaneboyfriend*cough* have admitted that seeing him live and watching him literally re-create his songs from the bottom up, solo, from scratch (and, occasionally altered and modified just to make it MORE difficult and interesting) is an amazing experience. That he then proceeds to sing like an angel while playing furious and flawless violin lines and timing his layers just right is beyond my ability to fathom.

Furthermore, hearing "The Butcher" (my favourite thing he's ever done, ever) in such a venue is something that cannot be put into words. I consider it one of the greatest crimes in our present music scene that Final Fantasy doesn't garner as much recognition as the band for whom he composes flawless string arrangements (The Arcade Fire). The man even played an encore despite his state (though I suppose the sound of a church full of people pounding their feet and applauding could be somewhat terrifying to deny).

Seeing as I'm back at school full-time once again for my last and final year before I'm actually supposed to go out and "be a professional" (they still don't have lessons for that, really >.>), it would take the most sublime of sublime shows to bring me to feel as if keeping it to myself is a selfish thing to do. Even more so to do more than feel vaguely guilty about not writing about it and actually write about it.

This was just that show.


~Ju


Timber Timbre:
On Myspace Music

Final Fantasy
On the Web
On Myspace Music

Feature: The Drones

So, I now know why writers keep little notebooks stashed about their persons; it keeps you from forgetting things like where you put the prune juice and whether or not you've left your glasses ontop of your head again.

In this vein, I totally had something interesting and meaningful to say about the state of music/a point to make on the debate going on over at http://www.x929.ca/shows/newsboy/?p=1417#comment-911 about whether or not the Calgary music scene is stagnating, but it seems to have vacated my brain like the concepts of simple human interaction, decency, and taste have vacated the mainstream music vending business. >.>

So, instead of ranting on about how the scene isn't stagnant, rather we've all gotten lazy and old and self-conscious about jumping around at shows, or about how The Noseholes could have been GREAT had they not broken up (unrelated, but it would've ended up in there anyway), I will instead suck it up like the BAMF I wish I was and tell you about The Drones.

First of all, The Drones are, indirectly, the reason why I joined this blog and consequently ended up keeping it limpingly, ever so slightly alive when Sheez and Phil jumped ship. And yes, I even suppose I knew about them back then, but it's all a little hazy in the manner of timing since it all happened when I was a doe-eyed, impressionable, and insatiably enthusiastic music hunter trying to track down literally every band mentioned by Kurt Cobain, ever.

No, he didn't mention the Drones, but we'll get to how the two are related.

Through this music-hunting process, I quickly began to realize that exposure wasn't always proportional to quality when it came to music, even in the indie community. Some bands would get huge just based on a good pitchfork review, and others would have their precious hopes dashed by a mediocre one. Some had good reviews and seemed to get the shaft anyway, while others had crap reviews and STILL had legions of fans (I'm looking at YOU, The Killers). This bothered me.

Thus, when I was offered a spot writing on the blog, I took it as a chance to help spread love of those bands whom I thought didn't get the kind of love they deserved (You'll remember that my first ever post was pushing The Wipers, who are still criminally overlooked even by punks who should know better). Of course, once it was only me writing and updating I couldn't just focus on that area, but I always thought about it anyway.

(See? I told you it'd all come together)

The Drones are just such a band. Despite generally favourable coverage by Rolling Stone and Pitchfork, you still have to go very far out of your way indeed to actually find a person in the real world who's heard of them. (As far as Australia, I believe, but don't quote me on that)

Maybe it's a case of a name affecting your chances, maybe just bad luck, but really, this band is wonderful. And no, they don't do sludge rock or rock out on the bagpipes, thanks for asking. Lyrically, their music is at times beer-soaked and at other times introspective, image-laiden and charmingly sung in a clearly Australian accent...on that note, it's frankly WONDERFUL to hear a band sing unabashedly the way they speak without trying to sound accessibly American. Jangly guitars create raucus Pixie-esque rockers to melodic, acoustic-friendly ballads (of the non-annoying variety). And best of all, the style changes between songs so that you never feel like you're listening to the same song on repeat for twenty minutes.

Lastly, it has staying power...the first time I heard 'Sharkfin Blues' from their "Wait Long By The River ..." album, I loved it. It's now been five years, and hearing it again, it's still just as lovable and brilliant as it was back in high school.

Odds are, if you go out and look for their albums in a record store, you probably won't have much luck finding a full selection. Luckily, the band also distributes the albums through their site directly, which I'd generally recommend people do anyway.

So, to sum up: this band is a) wonderful, b)underrated, and c)deserving of every penny and enthusiastic comment that may or may not convince them to include Canada in their journeys *hint hint* Check 'em out!

~Ju


The Drones can be found:

On the web: http://www.thedrones.com.au
On Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/thedronesthedrones

[EP Review] Unsparing Sea - "In The Crystal Canyon"

*looks around* What? I'm actually updating in a decent amount of time. And no, the world isn't going to end.

To the point!

If you think far, far back into the annuls of your memory, you may remember a band by the name of Unsparing Sea. Then again, in blog time, it's only two posts back that I reviewed their album A Cloud in the Cathedral, but I assume most people reading this will be too ADD, disinterested, or senile to actually RE-READ anything on here.

Well, your eyes don't deceive you, I am in fact covering their newly (well, a month or so old now) EP. And with good reason, too. While those of you with memories long as a wizard's beard may remember that I definitely liked A Cloud in the Cathedral, the four songs on In the Crystal Canyon prove without a doubt that this is a band ill content to sit around and make the same album over and over again.

Cathedral was aptly named; the melodies were soft and soaring, conjuring images of floating through spaces designed to project words and song up to the heavens. And while there were moments of earthly groundedness, you never quite lose that sensation. Crystal Canyon, on the other hand, begins on a vastly different note; "Wolves At the Wedding" opens the EP in a darker direction, a rumbling baseline and low-pitched cello keep things unnerved and brooding. Those higher, etherial voices are still here, but softer and more atmospheric, giving one the feeling of unease.

"Diamond Caverns" follows hot on the heels of the first track, and while it doesn't conjure images of teeth coming out of the woods to get you, it's still a far cry from the stargazing sound of songs like "God Will protect the Naive" from the previous album. The minor-major shift throughout the song makes it a transitional point between the first and second half of the EP.

"Dear Playwright" is a return to softer territory, but if Cloud was the dream, it's obvious that we've woken up here. Overall the song is crisper and more articulated than it might have been one release ago.

"All I Want" closes the album on the same note; slower than the first half, on a major tone, but even though an organ sounds in between the other melodies it can hardly be mistaken for a call back to drifting through exhalted spaces.

All in all, Crystal Canyon is the sound of a band more experienced as both songwriters and musicians, confident with their sound and willing to begin pushing it in other directions.


"Wolves at the Wedding": mp3

Feature: Stagehands - Broadway Rock, You Say?

*scene: a dark stage. suddenly, a single spotlight flickers to life, illuminating...an empty chair. From somewhere, a familiar voice begins to speak.*

Ju: ...

*sounds of shuffling, and one sharp microphone squeal*

Ju: -this thing on? Hello? Okay, we're good. Sorry everyone. Sheesh...here I was going to be all dramatic...I guess Chad Vangaalen is the only person that can make technical difficulties charming.

*polite cough interrupts*

Ju: Okay, got it...move this thing along. Here's the bit where I apologize for being largely absent from the blogosphere for ages, and give the usual "I'm an illustrator, and a few hours sleep comes before writing anything more involved than a post-it note. BUT! If you want to see what I've been doing...here! A peace offering in the form of illustrations about toilet squids!"

page 1
page 2 - spread

Ju: Now that I've thoroughly managed to confuse and befuddle the issue, I see fit to actually get to the point, being why I've decided to update the blog. Also, why I decided to try something new out with the theatrical setup (whether or not it failed is irrelevant; I guess I've always been better suited to backstage work).

The point here is Stagehands, a self-styled "Broadway rock" band from Toronto with both aspirations of creating something just a little bit different and bringing back that good ole thing called "narrative" that us illustrators are oh-so-fond of (and which has been missing from music in general, with a few exceptions).

I'm not going to lie; I thought long and hard about how to swing this; how do you go about featuring and describing a band that says it's not exactly a band, but also a production that claims influences from sources as diverse as Nightmare Before Christmas and Green Day? I agonized on this point for a bit, until I realized that frankly, the idea speaks for itself. Admittedly, the idea could fall flat on its face if not executed properly; the tough thing about walking the line between several genres is that you run the risk of losing your point.

Take Visual Kei, for example. A genre I have problems with in general, because I've never been a fan of bands that put fashion above music (grunge school graduate speaking here, of course). I always figured that if a band is good, the music should speak for itself, even if everyone looks like they just got up and threw on whatever was on hand. On the other hand, I've always loved theatre, which the VK bands claim to be influenced by.

Ay, there's the rib.

Or the rub, even.

Point is, looking at what Stagehands does, they succeed where all those VK bands fail, because their music is more about embracing the aspects of theatre and narrative than about using it as a gimmick. It's not about costumes, it's about NARRATIVE. Because theatre (and even music) is storytelling, and stories are always better when visual and auditory and sensory things collide with a decidedly satisfying "clang". What VK bands do is fashion, what stagehands does is theatre (with enough of a rock injection to make it exciting for those who think music + theatre = Gilbert & Sullivan, or worse yet, jazz hands, Mamma Mia! and Stage West for the Calgarian set...*shudder of horror*).

Stagehands's album, "The Silent City", actually has a storyline. A kickaxe one which I would give my eye teeth to illustrate as a graphic novel, actually. It's got the meta-level of being about a songwriter, a fantasy setting, masks, an evil-yet-charming Mayor who controls an entire city, the battle between individuality and fame...this is some serious Tim Burton sh*t right here. In fact, my drawing hand is itching to start on designs for characters as we speak (makes it exceedingly difficult to type, if you must know).

While I know that there's been narrative concept albums before, the difference is, this band actually theatrically inclined enough to perform the thing as a production rather than a concert. (In fact, I'm not-so-patiently checking their touring schedule to see if they might come anywhere close to the lonesome crowded west...>.>)

In this world of endlessly referential acts that "sound like ___" or "are a mix of band x and band y with an injection of genre z", where PR obscures the music with a blizzard of buzzwords and meaningless categorization, it's nice to see someone genuinely try to come up with something a little bit different.

~Ju


Stagehands:
website
on Myspace

publicbroadcasting.ca: Will CBC Axe Radio 3?

publicbroadcasting.ca: Will CBC Axe Radio 3?

As a Canadian, this topic is close to my heart.

As a fan of music in general, this topic is absolutely VITAL.

"Why should I care?" you might wonder, especially if you're the type of person who:

a) Doesn't live in Canada
b) Thinks that all broadcasting is lame, anyway
c) Has never heard of Radio3

Frankly, you should care because Radio3 is the only national support that the numerous stellar indie bands this country can boast about has (of which The Arcade Fire and Broken Social Scene are only two).

Read the post, of course; they articulate a million times better why Radio3 is worth saving. But I'll add my two cents and say that the station is one of the only ways that many people can actually gain exposure to the exciting and original things going here musically; we, who lament of a national identity could very well boast: "Well, I'm not sure exactly what being a Canadian means, but we damn well have some of the best music in the world!"

...well, it could happen. >.> Don't grudge me my hopes and dreams, dammit.

Here's hoping the government pull their heads out of their rears on this one. >.>

Here's the link to the petition:

http://petitionspot.com/petitions/saver3


Thanks for listening

~Ju

Album Review: Unsparing Sea - A Cloud in the Cathedral

This has been a long time coming, for which I apologize a million times over to this wonderful band; it's easy to get lost in the plethora of minutae that seem to make up life at large, and before you know it it's already 2009.

I still have trouble remembering to write an '8' at the end of the date. >.>

I know what you're thinking: "Man, you must be getting senile in your old age, the rambling is worse than usual." However, in this case, you'd be wrong; the preamble ties in, I promise!

What I'm getting at is this: with the frantic pace of modern life, it's sometimes difficult to take time out and enjoy the things that, in reality, are the best parts.

See: The Unsparing Sea

(How's THAT for a smoking gun? *is smug*)

A Cloud in the Cathedral is one of those albums you want to listen to completely and wholly; it's the type of album I'd buy on vinyl, because this would guarantee that I wouldn't be tempted to multitask. I'd just sit back and listen to the beautiful melodies weaving through my head and forget the world for a blessed few minutes of sheer music bliss.

Opener "O! Form O! Place" gets us started; in our minds, we are taken to the musical equivalent of your Happy Place. A place where nothing bad can happen, at least melodically speaking. Easygoing guitar, vocals, percussion, and violin carry us through the passing landscape at a comfortable pace. I'd compare it to an establishing shot in a film, one where the landscape is as important and grandiose as any of the characters.

You feel the passage of time suspended within a seemingly timeless moment; from the melancholy moments ("National Guard") to the happy and energetic ("I Wasn't There, That Didn't Happen") to the waterborne ("On Sinking Ships"...okay, usually road trips aren't seafaring, but I've always wanted them to be in part. I'll allowed >.>); there are moments of breathtaking beauty and moments of regularity, each moment has its place, and none seem rushed or out of place. The transitions are natural, and all in all, we are different people at the end of the journey than we were at the start.

Overall, A Cloud in the Cathedral reminds me of traveling across open spaces; it's the sound that plays in your head on a long drive with no hurry, where you're completely at peace and in a state of contentedness, watching the landscape outside your window as it rolls past. (Usually, in this scenario, I would probably imagine myself as not being the driver >.>) Or, much like their name, you could maybe slow it down and make the connection to a slower, more majestic time and the feeling of traveling across an ocean.

All in all, it's a journey you won't regret taking.

P.S: check out their website; it's actually really nicely designed, and really gives you a feel for their sound in visual terms.


Grade: R, for road trip; an album that goes places and changes in subtle ways.

Notable stops: "National Guard", "God Will Protect the Naive", "A Lion With No Teeth"



music:
"God Will Protect the Naive"
http://www.mediafire.com/?wzyf3rxy3ic

on Myspace:
http://myspace.com/unsparingsea

on the web:
http://www.unsparingsea.com/

~Ju